In his press conference on Monday, President Obama disparaged the phrase “American leadership” as a buzzword. His point was valid in context — the phrase is often abused in politics, turned into a cliche that substitutes for substantive descriptions of a foreign policy vision.

But leadership is still a real thing, and it consists of much more than simply bossing other people around. In times of crisis, leaders step forward to instruct and inform the public. They speak honestly and acknowledge that not all fears are unwarranted. This bolsters their credibility when they point out that some fears really are unwarranted.